50 Years of Innovation In Sweden’s Forest Based Bioeconomy

Philipp Jonas Kreutzer

2024-10-09

RQ

1. How innovative is the Swedish forest-based bioeconomy?

2. What explains the patterns of innovation in the forest-based bioeconomy?

Data of Significant Swedish Innovations, Matched Public Funding Applications & Published PhD Theses

Significant Swedish Innovations

~ 5000 unique innovations

Literature-Based Innovation Output method

from 15 independent trade journals (Sjöö et al., 2014)

Linked to patents Taalbi & Martynovich (2024)

Linked to public funding applications (Fink & Taalbi, forthcoming)

Bioeconomy identified through

  1. Core Sectors e.g. Pulp and Paper
  2. Forest biomass value chain keywords in innovation descriptions

Definition of Bioeconomy

Example Page From a Source Article

PhD Theses in Engineering and Natural Sciences

18 461 PhD theses published between 1970 and 2020

Classified into bioeconomy based on keywords in Title and Keywords

Results

Output and Innovation Producers Declined

2024-10-09T11:52:37.424606 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 1: Nodes, Average Degree and Innovation Output Over Time for Bioeconomy Innovations and SWINNO Innovations.

Significant Correlation Between Share of Total Funded Innovations

2024-10-09T08:20:57.040426 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 2: Shares of Bioeconomy Measures
Dependent variable: % Bioeconomy Innovation
(1)
Intercept -0.002
(0.007)
% Bioeconomy Theses -0.253
(0.436)
% Bioeconomy of Funded 0.211***
(0.064)
Observations 50
R2 0.189
Adjusted R2 0.155
Residual Std. Error 0.051 (df=47)
F Statistic 5.488*** (df=2; 47)
Note: p<0.1; p<0.05; p<0.01

Has Innovation Become More Complex?

2024-10-09T08:21:04.783965 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 3: Linked Patents per Innovation Count
2024-10-09T08:21:06.289784 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 4: Count of CPC Classes per Patent

Has Bioeconomy Innovation Become Less Attractive?

2024-10-09T08:23:39.157457 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 5: Innovation Experience of 10 Most Innovative Firms.

Two Overlapping Life Cycles of Bioeconomy Innovation?

2024-10-09T08:20:38.960029 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 6: Innovation Novelty From Firm Perspective For Bioeconomy And Other Innovation

Pulp & Paper and Wood Manufacturing Sectors Increase Innovation Output

2024-10-09T08:20:43.442452 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 7: Producing Sector’s Share of Bioeconomy Innovation Within Sector to Total Innovation (5 YMA)

Share of Total Bioeconomy

Bioeconomy Innovation Demand Probably Problem Driven (E.G. Pulp & Paper)

2024-10-09T08:20:45.907290 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 8: Use Sector’s Share of Bioeconomy Innovation Within Sector to Total Bioeconomy Innovation (5 YMA)

Share of Total

Take Aways

  1. Swedish bioeconomy innovation is declining. relative to total innovation

  2. Successful transformation might require larger buy in from large Swedish firms.

  3. A first wave of innovation in the 1970s mechanized forestry a second wave focused on upgrading biomass might be starting, but is weak vis a vis other sectors.

Get the (Old) Paper

References

Avelino, F. (2011). Power in Transition: Empowering Discourses on Sustainability Transitions. https://repub.eur.nl/pub/30663
Avelino, F., & Rotmans, J. (2009). Power in Transition: An Interdisciplinary Framework to Study Power in Relation to Structural Change. European Journal of Social Theory, 12(4), 543–569. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431009349830
Avelino, F., & Rotmans, J. (2011). A dynamic conceptualization of power for sustainability research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(8), 796–804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2010.11.012
Sjöö, K., Taalbi, J., Kander, A., & Ljungberg, J. (2014). A Database of Swedish Innovations, 1970-2007. Lund Papers in Economic History, General Issues(133), 77.
Taalbi, J., & Martynovich, M. (2024). On the urban bias of patents and the scaling of innovation. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21963.81448

Appendix

Research Questions on Collaboration and Power

Old Focus

1. How collaborative is the innovation system?

2. Which innovation producers exercise most power?

Theoretical Framework

Typology of Power Relations (Avelino, 2011, p. 75)
Relation Type Manifestation of Power Relations
More / Less Power
 Cooperation
A exercises more power than B, but collective goals
 Competition
A exercises more power than B, but mutually exclusive goals
 Co-existence
A exercises more power than B, independent co-existent goals

(Avelino & Rotmans, 2009, 2011)

Most Powerful Bioeconomy Innovation Producers Included Sweden’s Biggest Companies

Which are more active producing innovation for non-bioeconomy purposes

2024-10-08T14:38:47.239094 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 9: Innovation Experience of 10 Most Connected Actors.

Bioeconomy Innovation Producer Network Summary

Network Nodes Links Average Degree Density
1970-1983 87 64 1.47 0.02
1984-1990 52 40 1.54 0.03
1991-2008 78 65 1.67 0.02
2009-2021 35 27 1.54 0.05
Total 231 196 1.70 0.01

The Innovation Producer Network Was Highly Fragmented

Figure 10: Network of bioeconomy collaboration over time. Gray circles indicate final network.

Embedded network Disaggregated network

Producing Sectors Total of Bioeconomy

2024-10-09T08:20:42.027274 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 11: Share of Bioeconomy Innovation to Total Bioeconomy Innovation By Producing Sector

Share of Total

Use Sectors Total of Bioeconomy

2024-10-09T08:20:47.282417 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/
Figure 12: Share of Bioeconomy Innovation to Total Bioeconomy Innovation By Use Sector

Share of Total

Bioeconomy Degree Distribution

2024-10-08T14:38:49.022985 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.9.1, https://matplotlib.org/ Bioeconomy network

Embedded Network

Figure 13: Network of all innovation in database. For better clarity, only nodes with more than 1 collaboration are shown. Sizes of individual nodes correspond with cumulated total innovation. Fill color shows a company’s share of innovation within the bioeconomy compared to its total innovation in SWINNO data. Collaborations resulting in a bioeconomy innovation are highlighted in color.

Bioeconomy network

The 10 Most Connected Nodes – Disaggregated

Network Nodes Links Average Degree Density
1970-1983 94 75 1.60 0.02
1984-1990 63 68 2.16 0.03
1991-2008 97 100 2.06 0.02
2009-2021 85 116 2.73 0.03
Total 318 359 2.26 0.01

Bioeconomy Network – Disaggregated

Bioeconomy network

Embedded Network – Disaggregated

Figure 15: Network of all innovation in database. For better clarity, only nodes with more than 1 collaboration are shown. Sizes of individual nodes correspond with cumulated total innovation. Fill color shows a company’s share of innovation within the bioeconomy compared to its total innovation in SWINNO data. Collaborations resulting in a bioeconomy innovation are highlighted in color.

Data – Defining the Bioeconomy

Table 1: Key Sectors Used in Query
SNI Code Description
02 Forestry and related services
20 Wood and wood product manufacturing except furniture
21 Pulp, paper and paper product manufacturing
36 Furniture manufacturing; other manufacturing
Table 2: Swedish Keywords used in Query: WHERE description LIKE %keyword% OR ...
Swedish English
virke timber
cellulos cellulose
lignin lignin
spån chip
bark bark
levulinsyra levulinic acid
furfural furfural
svarttjära black tar
svartlut black liquor
växtbas plant-based
ved wood
trä timber
skog forest
biobränsle biofuel
biologiskt biological
nedbrytbar biodegradable
papper paper
karton carton
lyocell lyocell

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